Indian Super League (ISL) side Kerala Blasters started the Durand Cup with a 1-0 win over the Indian Navy football team at Vivekananda Yuva Bharathi Kreerangan (VYBK) on Saturday, 11 September.
Uruguay midfielder Adrian Luna made a match-winning spot-kick in the 71st minute.
Scores remained level at half-time and considering how futile both teams were in the half, it looked like the 130th Durand Cup was heading for its first goalless draw.
The Navy team did an incredible job in their opening game when they came down a goal for the win against Delhi FC and they had the biggest chance today in the 73rd minute, as the sailors could ensure route to the quarters. -Final already.
Opportunity was textbook and it sprung from a naval counterattack. In the end it was ruined not once but twice. At first, Shreyas VG only had to take away his shot after beating Albino Gomes, but the Blasters’ custodian pulled it away.
Only for Ricochet to fall directly at the feet of PM Brito, who had an open goal for the target. However, the former East Bengal winger fired a surprisingly wide shot.
The breakthrough goal came two minutes earlier, after an uncertain challenge from inside the box by Navy’s Dalraj Singh, who was declared worthy of the yellow card and a penalty was awarded in Kerala’s favour.
Adrian Luna stepped up to the responsibility and made no mistake in making it 1-0 in his favor.
“We are happy with three points. That was our view of today’s game. It was really tough in these conditions with the rain and the pitch conditions. We wanted to finish the game without injury, but now we have to see That’s how to fix some of our players,” Kerala Blasters head coach Ivan Vukomanovy said after the game.
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